Water temps are in the mid 70’s, it’s almost Memorial Day which is the industries checkpoint for the beginning of the swim season. Are you ready? Is your swimming pool ready?  Here are some tips to guide you and  your swimming pool into tip-top condition to last you thru the summer swim season.

Walk around your pool, look for potential problems or hazards, Make sure all of the suction outlets on your pool and spa have a secured drain cover over them. Trim back trees and bushes. A clean back yard promotes a clean pool.  Hose down the deck, away from the pool ! Use your skimmer / leaf rake / net and pole as well as your manual vacuum to remove any leaves, dirt and debris from the pool. Remember as it gets warmer your pool will see a higher level of evaporation than it did in the winter and spring, be prepared to add water more frequently if you don’t have an automatic water leveler.

Check all of your pool equipment, turn on everything! Heater, lights, air blower, salt system, pumps, if you have a pool and spa combination exercise the valves to check for leaks, check all of the equipment for leaks and for equipment that’s not coming on or running properly, if something seems wrong turn it off and call a professional to come evaluate it and or repair it. Don’t wait until the day before you want to use it as it’s a very busy time of year for swimming pool professionals and you might have to wait several days before they can get to you to repair your heater, your lights or pump.  If you have an automatic pool vacuum make sure its working properly, your local pool retail shop stocks parts for all major brands and if your vacuum needs a tune up, they will be glad to help you get it tuned up.

Clean your filter and empty your skimmer and pump strainer baskets.  If you are not comfortable taking apart your pool filter, call your local pool professional and have them do it, typical cost is under $100 for a thorough cleaning and change filter tank seals, it saves you the homeowner from getting dirty and wet.

Balance your swimming pool water chemistry, use a quality test kit, I recommend the Taylor Technologies Troubleshooter test kit K-1004, Test strips although convenient are not very accurate and not recommended if you have them left over from last season. You can also take a water sample to your local pool retailer to check for hidden problems such as phosphates, cyanuric acid levels, alkalinity level and if you have a salt system check the salt level to make sure it’s in the 3000-3500 operational range. They will also give you recommended dosages of chemicals that are out of balance on your pool.

Shock your pool prior to swim season, preferably at night when the sun is setting because pool shock is a non- stabilized oxidizer and the suns UV rays will deplete it quickly in the middle of the day.  Turn on your filtration system add the appropriate amount of shock ( typically calcium-hypochlorite), then brush your swimming pool and run your filter for 10-12 hours typically overnight. 

Last but not least adjusting your swimming pools filtration and circulation time.  As the temperature outside rises your filtration time needs to rise also, those swimming pools that were running 4-6 hour filtration cycles in the winter and spring, will need 10-12 hours in the summers hot weather. As bather load  increases chemical demand will also increase so be prepared by having the chemicals you need ready and waiting. Be sure to store them in a safe secure location well ventilated and away from children.

This is the most common question homeowners ask me, and it’s the most basic one. Weather someone is new to being a pool owner or  a veteran pool owner, I’m often asked. Where should I keep the water level.

For pool owners that have an automatic pool water leveler this is a set it and forget it situation baring any problems with your automatic leveling system which should be checked monthly by your pool service. Often we find the older auto fill systems have worn or broken parts and the float needs replaced the more recent ones are more durable and sustainable.  

Ideally for best results you want your pool water level 1/3 to ½ way up the skimmer throat. This is the opening in your tile where the surface debris is skimmed or sucked off the surface. Water level too high and the water flow is slowed down to the point that debris can pass right by the skimmer opening without being sucked inside and filtered.

Too low of a water level and the pump will lose its prime and you are risking possible damage to your pool pump from overheating and running dry, a very costly repair.  You also will experience unhealthy swimming conditions from lack of circulation and filtration. If you have a salt chlorination system your salt cell will only produce chlorine with consistent flow high enough to trigger the flow switch.  All of which will lead to an algae bloom.  If you are unsure where to keep your pool water level, please don’t hesitate to ask your pool service or a  pool professional.

Why professional pool and spa service technicians recommend draining and refilling your spa with fresh water at least every three months.

Homeowners always ask, is that really necessary? do we have to? the short answer is in order to maintain clean healthy safe water, YES. Along with scheduled filter cleanings, the proper water balance should test as follows (we recommend the Taylor Technologies test kit k-1003 for homeowners)

pH 7.4-7.6, Bromine 4-6ppm, Total Alkalinity 80-120 ppm, Calcium Hardness 150-200 ppm,

An average bather in a hot tub / spa will bring with them over 100 million bacteria into the water while bathing, joining the already present organisms living in the water from previous bathing, organisms such as bio-film, (bacteria are harbored in bio-film which protects them from disinfectants) parasites, virus, algae, mold, mildew, spores. Compound that with human wastes such as urine, sweat, mucous, tears, saliva, and other bodily fluids. Can you see where this is going? Yuck. But wait we are not done with our recipe. We forgot the man-made products, some examples of these are soaps, oils, lotions, make up, hair products deodorants, anti-perspirants, and perfumes.

Some of the largest organic components of sweat and urine are creatinine. Creatinine is a waste product that comes from the normal wear and tear on muscles of the body. Everyone has creatinine in their bloodstream.  When this creatinine combines with chlorine or bromine they produce N-chloro or N-bromo compounds referred to as chloramines and bromamines.  These bromamines and chloramines require HUGE amounts of oxidization to destroy and get rid of them.

I could go into a lot more detail that will just confuse you with chemical reactions between oxidizers and organic materials that produce trihalomethanes such as chloroform  dibromochloromethane and bromoform and the byproducts of these such as cyanogen, halide, halopicrines, haloacetic acids and haloketones, but let’s get out of bio lab and back on track. Regardless of what we professionals call them, chlorine and bromine in spa water eventually become chlorides and bromides and raise the TDS (total dissolved solids) level of the water.  There are over 20 tests that can be performed on your pool and spa water, however many are not always necessary in normal situations. Pool and spa water need to test 7 (Total chlorine/bromine, free chlorine / bromine, Total Alkalinity, pH, Calcium Hardness, TDS, Cyanuric Acid) of the 7 tests, three are very slow to change and need testing less often ( CYA, TDS, Calcium hardness)  and the others ( pH , free chlorine, alkalinity) change rapidly and need to be monitored more frequently in some cases hourly in commercial spas. For residential homeowners I recommend weekly testing.

I can hear you thinking to yourself Oh My goodness I need to drain and clean my spa now and fill with fresh water. Most likely yes you should.

This is one factor that definitely prevents most pool and spa professionals from EVER wanting to enter into a hotel or resort commercial spa. We know what’s in that water.